New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-12-26
AN OLD FORGER IDENTIFIED.
HISTORY OF OBRIEN. THE SILK THIEF.


EXPERT THIRTY YEARS AGO.
Michael O'Bricn. who arrested last week
with ANDY" Roberts and George Williams
for stealing silk worth $4,000 from the
United States stores at Laight and
Washington sts, has been puzzing In
spector Byrnes ever since The inspector knew
that he must be good man, or Andy Roberts,
the bond forger, would not have connected with
him But where he came from and what he has
been doing during the siXtyfve years OF his lie
remained unknown until yesterday, when I'm
Golden, one of the oldest detectives in the city,
took long look at his fnce Golden knew that he
had seen O'Brien before many years ago. but under
what circumstances he could not quite tell. AT
last il flashed through Goden's mind who the man
was and where he had seen him. and the discovery
carried both back to the time when this city was
the headquarters of enc Of the most expert bands
of forgcrs that has ever appeared in criminal life
anywhere.
Michael O'Brien is the prisoners right name, and
he came TO this city about forty years ago from
Boston. In Boston ne did some work in the sneak
thief line that original in its way and gave
him the confidence of all the expert crooks every
where lie opened chop house in Spring ST., near
Broadway, and his principal customers were men
who had either been in prison or were in fair
way to get there.
TUE BtRGLAR'S ROMANTIC MARRIAGE.
O'Bricn got married while he kept his place and
there little romance about 1t that showed
thn peculiar character of the man. While walking
up Broadway one stormy night i'll winter he heard
one of the oldcn time mashers' make an insult
ing remark to young woman rs she was crossing
at Tcnth-st OBricn dropped his umbrella and
struck the masher' powerful blow, knocking
him down. lie did not stop at this. but rolled
him over in the mud until he looked as though
he had crawled out OF a sewer. OL1en then
escorted the girl home. She was salcswoinan IN
Brodic's cloak store in Canal-st., near Broadway,
and O'Brien frequently met her there. lie fell Ill
love with her and asked her to be his wife She
did not know anything about his history ana
O'Brien did not cover anything up. lie told her
that he had been thief'and was a thief then, but
that he would promise never to do Il crooked
thing while she lived if she would marry him. She
believed him and became his wife. lie was true
to his word, and during the four years that she
lived after the marriage no complaint could Dc
made of his conduct. During this period, III order
to get away from the thieves that infested MS
eating house, he sold out and opened road house
known as the WoOdbne, now used as police
station at High Bridge.
Soon after o. 'Bricns wife died his old partners
in crime locked out to the Woodblnc and 1t be-
came the place in little while where all the
no,ed thieves went when they wanted IA quiet cIidu
about business 1t was a rule IN the WoodpIhSi
with him must be robbed there, ana y Brich
hatred wou follow the man who would break thiS
Among the noted thieves who were O'Brien's
partners were Spence PettiS, the gentlemahIy
thiel" Walter Patterson John Garadler' J0hh
Sinclair James Wilkins and George l. C"hkuh
They were all educated men and dcspised a thcf
who would pick pocket or rob a safe lhelr %
work was all in the line of pen ana INK sKe'cheS'
and exceedingly clever work 1t was, too
HIS first VENTURE IL THIS CITY.
The first lob that O'Bricn went into after his
wife died. as far is known, was to beat thc
Pacific Bank in this city out OF sl,O1o on d l9---A
check The name of Simeon Draper, who was
then a Commissioner of Charities and CorrectIon'
was signed to the check and 1t was SO cleNerS
done that Mr. Draper and the experts TO whom J..
was shown could not detect any difference between
il and genuine signature. Inc cnccK was nldue i
payable to Henry Carr an alias that lrleh
assumed and il was cashcd at the bank Dy iatlGr-
son Patterson was aiterward arrested but ne
wore a clever disguise when at the bahk ana coul"
not be identified. o,pi,
10 swindle large number Of banks by 1orsed
)hecks given in payment for bonds bought at tne
banks. O'Bren got acquainted WIN uGoise +
Conklin who was then confidential clerk IN thc
6rm of Lathrop & Luddington' doing business ,nI~d
conkIin kI To- ioin in the scheme This firm had
large deposit at all times in the Mechanics Bank .i
Conkln gave O'Bren the sgnatnre used Dy cnf cnf
to H. r. Vail the cashier of the Mechanics rank:
am req u st b. Mrs. W Il am VIII ney, o. Nor
rlStOWn \. D., TO inquire rtldoi|' w "a" J."
mcnt in the new 7-3Os u. S. Treasury loan notes,
as she desires to buy them from your lnstltutl3h
Will you be kind enough TO send by bearer the
exact amount of $4,000 with accrued interest.
Delivered tomorrow, II ready"
This was signed by H. w. Weed an alias Tor
ORricn A boy took it there and got an answer rs
that the bonds would be furnished for sp7 O7 90
signed by the acting cashier. Hugh McNellls inet
the boy and got tho answer, saying IndJ ne was
friend of Mr. Weeds Weed gave check thc
next day to McNellis for s27l 30 payable TO
Weeds order and signed with the forged signature
Of TathroD q Luddngt0n. Weed sent the follow
ing with the check, wr ttcn on the back OF the hOC
which The ting cashier had sent 10 MN
enclose amount. as per bill of Yesterday Win IN
tcrcst TO date for SD 900 in 730s treasury notes
sujt vonr convenience. s 900 and 800 pr 1er;,b G.
The bank took the check and gave the bondS 10
the same boy who had delivered the first note
GETTING AWAY WITH rHr PLUNDFR.
The forgery was discovered but no arrests were
made The bonds were evenly divided between
pettis. McNellis Sinclair, Millins Conkln and
O'Bricn Each Of the thieves deposited the money
IN separatc banks with view TO getting credit
The Newark Bank, OF Newark, and the Ninth
National of this city, were swndcd out of s2o'-
900 by the purchase of bonds with forged chsDHs Rn
oBrien did the work at the Ninth NatlonaI Bank
All the checks were signed LathrOp & Luddlhg'oh
Patterson O'Prien, Garadier and C0nkln were ar
rested Conklin confessed. O'Br1en proved an
alibi and the Jury disag agreed. the others were con
yictrd and the scheme Of robbery, which would
have gone as high as 81 900 600 in thirty days.
was broken up gambler gave bail Tor - 1r,ch icy.
for new trial O'Bricn forfeited the ball ana IliS
do ngs since are not known. lie was thought 10
be dead but the silk robbery shows that at siXty-
Eve he is as active and acute as ever